CHULA VISTA  Two Hilltop High School seniors are celebrating a recent robotics competition win and are preparing for the world championships in April.

Angel Martinez and Ramon Esparza, both 17, pulled off the feat against 31 schools on Oct. 8 and won the final round with a score of 27-10.

“We really wanted to win but you never know what other robots people might bring,” Ramon said recently at the robotics lab at Hilltop High. “We have that mentality to win but we can’t be certain because we don’t know our competition.”

The tournament was played on a 12-by-12-foot field at Otay Ranch High School in Chula Vista. There are two alliances, one red and one blue, composed of two teams each, who compete in matches consisting of a 20-second autonomous period followed by two minutes of driver-controlled play. The object of the game is to attain a higher score than your opponent alliance by scoring barrels and balls in goals. Bonus points can be earned and goals can be negated.

For the world championships the duo plan to upgrade their winning robot, which took two months to complete and is designed with a holonomic drive, meaning it can move in any direction− sideways, diagonal, or back and forth.

“What we’re all looking at right now is how can we make ours faster,” said Derrick Miranda, robotics mentor and chemistry teacher. “The things that will win a competition is sound engineering and increasing the speed.”

Angel said he first became involved in robotics in his sophomore year and has taken part in a robotics internship for the past two years. He said the internship, which takes place in the spring, teaches students about communication, networking, and how to get jobs.

Angel said before he got involved in robotics he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do.

“I really had no calling in life,” he said. “The one thing I did have was skills in technology. Once I was introduced to robotics I knew that this was my calling. It’s the only thing that I wanted to do.”

Angel said he’d like to major in mechanical engineering and is considering going to UC Santa Barbara, SDSU, Cal Poly, or UC Riverside.

Ramon said he was introduced to robotics last year by a former schoolmate and it’s made a drastic change in his life.

“I used to be lazy,” he said. “I didn’t even think about college because I didn’t think I’d make it. The good thing about robotics is it’s a step for college. So now I’m thinking about college, I’m thinking about all these careers I want to do.”

Ramon said he’s thinking of attending the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and majoring in biomedical engineering.

Miranda said robotics has become a hot item in schools throughout the world and it seems to be exactly what students and educators have been looking for.

“We don’t understand it, but it seems to be the missing link on how to inspire and teach students,” he said. “It’s a kinesthetic experience mixed with academic formulas. It’s a magic balance.”

Angel and Ramon, who said they became teammates because they were the only seniors in the class, are constructing another robot that will compete in a tournament Dec. 10. If that robot wins it will also go to the world championships. Angel said they work on their robots during their sixth period robotics class and after school.

“The longest I’ve stayed here is 2 o’clock in the morning,” he said.

Miranda said the boys’ dedication is inspiring.

“You’d be hard-pressed to find adults who are as inspiring,” he said. “They’re hungry and willing to put the time in.”

The robotics world championships takes place on April 19-21 in Anaheim. There are 320 teams that will compete.